Rebuild of Evangelion 2: YOU ARE NOT WORTHLESS
by Shiro Kaisen
Summary: With the defeat of the 6th Angel, Shinji Ikari has finally found a home at Nerv. However, the arrival of the Second Child, as well as the continuing Angel attacks continue to take a major toll on Shinji. Sequel to my first work, Rebuild 1.0. Shinji's POV
1. Akai Kami

_It's been a long time since I worked on this fic. I finished this chapter a bit over a month ago, but I never got around to uploading it. I'm uploading 2.1 and 2.15 at the same time. _

REBUILD OF EVANGELION: 2.0 (ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:破)

YOU ARE (NOT) WORTHLESS

"An MIG-55 D transport helicopter! I'd never have had the chance to fly in one if it weren't for something like this! Man, this is what friends are for, right, Shinji?" Kensuke exclaimed happily.

"Eh?"

_Man, he's such a nerd! I mean, seriously!_

Misato turned around from the co-pilot's seat.

"I figured you'd get claustrophobic looking at the same mountains day after day, so I invited you on a date, since it is a Sunday."

_Oh, no, you said the magic word…_

As if on cue, Toji came to life, face lighting up with excitement.

"What?! Then today is a real date?"

_Wow, Toji…you're fourteen, she's in her twenties, maybe even thirty. You really think it's a date?_

"I bought this cap just for today, Misato-san!" he said, apparently hoping for her to be impressed. For once, Kensuke wasn't joining in fawning over Misato; he was too busy videotaping every second spent near military equipment. I was the only one who was genuinely bored by the trip; helicopters didn't excite me, and I was used to Misato's presence.

"So, where are we headed?" I said.

"We're taking a little jaunt across the Pacific on a gorgeous cruise ship," Misato replied, winking at us.

The clouds around us cleared, and up ahead, a fleet of ships came into view. The view was impressive; the glistening sun and bright red ocean against the fleet of gray cruisers and battleships was picturesque. Kensuke's voice perked up with excitement, and he zoomed to the window to videotape them as well.

"Wow, five aircraft carriers and four battleships! What a fleet! This really IS what friends are for!"

Toji and I were less enthused.

"That's your gorgeous cruise ship?" he groaned as we approached one of the carriers. I shared his sentiments.

"Yeah, she sure is gorgeous!" Kensuke responded, voice picking up speed, "That's the pride of the U.N., the glorious regular carrier, 'Over the Rainbow!'"

"It's huge…" I gasped.

It was rather impressive, I conceded. It was bigger than any ship I'd seen before, and its deck was covered in planes and copters. It looked like it had been through a lot; it certainly wasn't new.

"I'm surprised such a relic is still afloat," Misato said.

"Nah, it's not so bad," Kensuke, of course, argued, "It's a vintage model from before the Second Impact."

As we begun to land, I remembered why we were really here.

_So…the Second Child and Eva-02 are aboard this ship…I wonder what they'll be like…_

2.1: AKAI KAMI (赤いカミ)

"Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!" Kensuke squealed over and over as we walked down the flight deck, admiring each and every plane on the deck, much to the amusement of the crew, who smiled at him awkwardly as we passed.

"Awesome, awesome, awesome! This is way too awesome! Real men shed tears for this kind of thing!"

_Real men, huh…he seems completely overwhelmed…it's like his life's dream came true…_

"Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome!"

"Hey, wait! Wait up!" Toji had lost his "prized" hat, and was running after it. I yawned and followed slowly along and Misato followed me sheepishly, as if she was embarrassed by it all.

"Damn it! Stop! Stop already!" Toji yelled after his hat, which came to a halt suddenly against the leg of a girl, who promptly stepped on it.

"Hello, Misato," she said cheerfully, not acknowledging Toji's presence, "How have you been?"

"Fine," she replied, "How about you? You've grown some, haven't you?"

Toji kneeled down and was tugging at his hat to no avail, getting steadily angrier.

"Yeah! I'm not just taller; my figure's filled out as well!"

"Let me introduce you," Misato said, "This is the pilot of Evangelion Unit 02, the Second Child, Soryu Asuka Langley."

Asuka smirked.

_So she's the Second Child…_

She was about the same height as I was, with long red hair. She was clad in a yellow sundress and red shoes, with what looked like the Eva's synchronization headpiece in her hair as an accessory. She seemed to possess a certain fire; something about her eyes—a piercing blue—and the way she stood gave off an air of pride and arrogance. And she was very attractive, with a pronounced figure. I kept reminding myself to look at her eyes.

As if on cue, the wind, which had been blowing strongly since we arrived, picked up. The gust blew Asuka's bright yellow sundress up, giving Toji (who was still crouching by her feet) a full view of her underwear, as well as giving the rest of us a glimpse as well. Naturally, she slapped Toji fiercely across the face, and hit Kensuke as well, cracking his camera, which had videotaped the unfortunate incident. I got a slap too, of course. She hit hard.

"What did you do that for?!" Toji demanded.

_Isn't it obvious…?_

"That's the viewing fee," Asuka replied, still cross, "Quite a bargain, don't you think?"

"What? Well then, take a look at this!" Toji yelled as he unbuttoned his pants.

_Toji, come on…that's not a good idea…_

He threw his pants down with considerable force, revealing his privates for all to see. Asuka shrieked in horror.

"What the hell are you doing?" she screamed as she slapped him again. I just looked away and put my palm to my face, embarrassed. Misato just looked on, amused. Toji, face swollen from Asuka's attacks, got out of her way, still seething.

"So, which one is the famous Third Child?" Asuka asked brightly, calmed down. "Don't tell me it was him…" she added as an afterthought.

"No, it's him," Misato replied, gesturing towards me.

Asuka leaned forward, examining me as someone examines a pet that they might be interested in. Her eyes narrowed.

"Well, he looks kind of dull."

--

"Well, well, I thought you were the leader of this gang of Boy Scouts, but it seems like I was mistaken."

We stood in the control room of the _Over the Rainbow. _The captain was a surly American with a thick gray mustache, and was clad in a Navy uniform. His assistant was identical, except he was clean-shaven. They both expressed open dislike towards us for some reason. He snarled when Misato had entered the cabin, and was talking to her as if she was an unruly student, even though Misato showed him more respect than he obviously deserved.

He handed Misato her ID card back when he finally accepted that she was, indeed, a Nerv officer. As she did, I caught a glimpse of it. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit; her picture appeared as if she had just woken up, and her measurements, age, and weight were all scratched out.

_Typical…_

"Thank you for your understanding, Captain," Misato said with authority.

"Oh no, thank you for giving me the opportunity to baby-sit some kids," the captain replied, irritated.

_How can he talk like that to Misato-san? Nerv is here to help save the human race; why does he hate us?_

"We appreciate your assistance in the transport of Unit 02," she continued, ignoring the captain's sarcasm.

She opened a folder and handed the captain a stack of papers.

"Here are the specs for the emergency power supply socket."

The captain laughed when he looked them over.

"In the first place, I haven't heard anything about activating that toy while at sea," he said, irritated.

_T…toy? The Evas are the most advanced weapon on the planet! How can he refer to them as toys?_

"Why don't you just think of this as being prepared for an emergency?" Misato answered calmly.

The captain didn't think along those lines, however.

"That is why the Pacific Fleet is escorting it," he replied in the same irritated tone, "When did the UN Navy become a cargo service?"

"I believe it was just after a certain organization was established," his assistant replied, using a similar tone.

"Quite a grandiose escort for transporting one single toy! After all, this is the entire Pacific Fleet," he continued, sarcasm growing. I felt Asuka, who was standing next to me, tense at the word 'toy.' She hadn't moved throughout the entire dialogue, keeping the same cheerful, smiling expression the whole time. It was very different from the fiery, angry Asuka we had just encountered. It seemed altogether faked, but it was obviously enough to satisfy the adults.

"It's still not enough, considering the importance of the Eva," Misato said simply. She withdrew another paper from her folder. "Would you sign this document?" she asked cheerfully.

Predictably, the captain refused, and Misato's face finally broke its stoic expression into one of obvious irritation.

"Not yet. Eva-02 and its pilot have been entrusted to us by the Third Branch in Germany. You can't just do as you please!"

Misato quickly regained her composure and continued.

"Then, when will you transfer them to us?" she asked.

"Once we've unloaded in New Yokosuka," the assistant answered.

"The ocean is our jurisdiction. You will follow our orders here," he concluded adamantly.

Misato smiled slightly.

"I understand," she said as she snapped her folder shut, "However, I should remind you that, in case of an emergency, Nerv's authority overrides yours."

"So cool…" Toji sighed.

_Wow…she's so official when she needs to be…she seems like a totally different person! _

"She's just like Ritsuko-san…" I muttered.

"You're as gallant as ever," a new voice proclaimed. Asuka gasped.

"Kaji-senpai!" she squealed happily, as a broad grin slid over her face and waved to the man.

Kaji waved at us, a silly smile covering his rough, unevenly shaven face. He was a rather tall man compared to Misato, with messy dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a blue collared shirt with the top button open and the sleeves rolled back, and a red tie. His pants were dark blue with black shoes. All in all, his appearance practically screamed "care-free." You could hear it in his voice as well; it was rough, but sounded distinctly…_fun._

Misato's reaction was completely opposite to Asuka's, however. As soon as she saw him, an expression of utter horror overtook her, and she gasped audibly and loudly.

"Kaji-kun, I don't recall inviting you onto the bridge," the captain said sternly, although he appeared to be relieved to no longer be talking to Misato.

"Oh, sorry about that," Kaji replied.

Misato dropped her folder by accident. I bent down to pick it up for her, but she pushed my hand away and picked it up herself.

"Go on ahead, I'll be right behind," Misato said.

I nodded and walked out the door that Kaji had come in from. He smiled at me as I walked past. Toji and Kensuke followed me close behind, but Asuka stayed attached to Kaji's arm. I turned, halfway down the stairs. Misato stood at the outside of the door, saluting the captain.

"Excuse us then," she finished, "We're counting on you to escort us to New Yokosuka as ordered."

"This is a date?" Toji moaned.

"Awesome, too awesome!" Kensuke exclaimed.

_Does everyone have one-track minds here?_

I sighed and began to walk down the stairs, followed by Kensuke and Toji. Misato turned to follow as well.

"So, now that that's over, you kids hungry?" she asked cheerfully.

"You bet!" Toji and Kensuke exclaimed.

Misato led us to the nearest elevator. It wasn't a very large elevator, fit for only about two people. We squeezed inside uncomfortably, and Misato pushed the button to go down.

"Hey, hold on! Wait for us!" Kaji called from the staircase. Misato cursed under her breath. She was forced to hold the door until Kaji and Asuka arrived, Asuka still clutching his arm. Problem was, we were now six people, and we could barely fit our bodies inside the elevator. I was pushed up awkwardly against Misato, and Toji's face was squashed against the door.

"What are you doing here?!" Misato finally asked angrily.

_What does she have against Kaji-san? He seems like a nice guy._

"Accompanying her," he replied, "I'm on a business trip from Germany."

"Man, I was careless," Misato lamented, "I should have anticipated this."

There was an awkward silence for a second, before the tension was released in another way.

"Hey, don't touch me!" Asuka and Misato screamed in unison.

"I can't help it!" Kaji and Toji protested.

--

When we finally arrived at the mess hall, the mood didn't change at all. Misato's anger put a damper on the whole group. Only Kaji seemed unfazed by it all.

"Seeing anyone right now?" he asked Misato cheerfully.

"And that would be your business WHY?"

He leaned back, feigning offense.

"What? You're kind of cold," he remarked as he sipped his tea. He leaned over the table to look me in the eye.

"I hear that you're living with Katsuragi?" he said.

"Yes," I answered.

"So, does she still toss and turn in bed?" he asked, seriousness etched all over his face.

Everyone at the table except for Kaji and me reacted in horror and embarrassment. However, it didn't really bother me much. But it did tell me why Misato hated him.

_So, they had been seeing each other, and were pretty serious…I wonder why they aren't together anymore…_

"Wha…wha...WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?" Misato demanded as she smashed her fists down onto the table, face beet red and contorted in anger.

"So, she hasn't changed, Ikari Shinji-kun," he said, ignoring her reaction. Her expression slid from anger to that of utmost embarrassment, and her face was a particular shade of pinkish-purple.

"Well…" I leaned over, around Asuka—who was unmoving, presumably still shocked—to look straight at him, "How do you know my name?"

"Well, of course I do. You're famous in our business," he replied. Asuka finally moved, and she was giving Kaji her full attention now. She seemed shocked at my apparent fame.

"The Third Child, who piloted an Eva in battle with no training," Kaji continued. Asuka turned around to glare at me.

This thoroughly embarrassed me; I wasn't used to public praise, and I wasn't sure I liked it. It seemed to make Asuka particularly irritated. I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

"Oh, no, it was just luck…" I stammered.

"Luck is a part of your destiny. It's your talent," Kaji insisted. He rose from the table and looked down at Misato, hunched over the table, clutching her head.

"Well, I'll see you later."

"See you," I said.

"This has got to be a bad joke. No, a nightmare…" Misato muttered, face now a sickening shade of blue.

We were riding an escalator to take us back up to the main deck. Misato seemed to have recovered from the incident at lunch, and was now taking every opportunity to say rude things about Kaji. Kensuke was still videotaping every second. Toji, obviously upset about the lack of attention Misato was paying him, tried to strike up conversation.

"That captain's attitude got on my nerves…"

"He's a proud man," Misato replied, "Pride can make you sarcastic."

"That Kaji-san is pretty lively…and funny too," I added, interested to hear Misato's reaction.

"He hasn't changed at all, that jerk!" Misato snapped.

"Hey, Third Child!" a voice called from the top of the escalator. It was Asuka, wearing a serious expression.

"Come with me."

--

She led me to a helicopter, where we were taken over to a larger carrier. She didn't say a word the whole way there; she simply looked the other way, giving off an air of contempt. She did, however, steal occasional glances at me, apparently looking me over. The carrier's deck was clear, save for a large tent-like bundle. This was where Asuka was leading me. She lifted the front of it enough for me to see the inside.

"So, Unit 02 is red? I didn't know that."

"The colour isn't the only difference," she said proudly.

Under the bundle lay a pool of purplish liquid and lots of mechanical equipment. And in the pool lay an Eva. It was coloured a deep red with an orange trim on the arms and shoulder pylons. This wasn't the only difference between Eva-01 and 02, however. I couldn't see the entire Eva because of how it was laying, but its face was distinctly more humanoid, although Eva-02 possessed four green eyes as opposed to Eva-01's two and 00's one. Two small horns jutted out from its head. Asuka seemed to believe the differences went farther than that, however. Asuka had climbed to stand on top of her Eva, all the while explaining how her Eva was superior to mine.

"After all, Units 00 and 01 were created as part of a development process, prototype and test type," she was saying, "The fact that it synchronized with an untrained pilot like you is proof of that."

I looked up at her. She seemed rather silly up there, as opposed to impressive. And she kept taking every opportunity to explain how much better she was than me, almost to the point of absurdity. However, somehow I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

_What's up with her…?_

"But Unit 02 is different," she continued. Her voice rose to a level of excitement, and she made a flourishing gesture towards her Eva.

"Created for actual combat conditions, this is the world's first true Evangelion!" she finished, voice filled with pride and excitement, "This is the final model."

_But you've never done anything with it…all the Angels have been defeated by me…and Eva-01 seems to work just fine. I don't see what's so special._

As I thought this, there was a loud rumbling. The whole cruiser shook. Asuka nearly fell off of her Eva.

"What was that?" I yelled in surprise.

"An undersea shockwave!" Asuka responded, alarmed. "That explosion was nearby!"

We dashed from the Eva to the edge of the cruiser, and looked out over the ocean for the source of the blast.

"What's that?" I gasped. Another explosion sounded, and a battleship seemed to collapse inward, into the blood-red sea. Distantly, I could hear the screams of people on the ships around us. A wave came out of the smoke, and it moved rapidly towards another ship. I realized that it wasn't just a wave, but that something underwater was moving fast enough to make that wave.

"Could it be an Angel?" I gasped again.

"That? A real one?" Asuka replied, in awe.

More explosions sounded. I was beginning to worry.

"What'll we do? We have to get back to Misato-san!"

Asuka seemed to ignore me. Her eyes narrowed. She grinned and turned to look back at the Eva.

"Chance…" she muttered, excited.

--


	2. Second Child

REBUILD OF

EVANGELION

2.15: SECOND CHILD

Asuka immediately grabbed my arm and started dragging me off towards the Eva. Seeing that there was no protesting, I decided to simply follow along. Misato would probably want us to launch anyway. She ran back under the covering and picked up a small bundle next to the Eva.

"Come on, idiot!" she ordered, grabbing my arm again. As she did so, a piercing alarm rang out, causing me to cover my ears. Asuka, however, began dragging me again, this time in a different direction.

"Hey, where are we going?" I asked.

She sharply jerked me around, and came to a stop in front of a door that led into the interior of the ship. She turned around to look at me.

"Just wait here a second," she warned sharply. She immediately turned and ran again, this time in the door and down the stairs, leaving me standing in the doorframe looking confused.

"What's going on…" I wondered aloud.

_Man…she's irritating…and loud…_

I slowly began to follow her inside, and saw her disappear behind the turn of the staircase. I peeked around the edge, just in time to see Asuka's yellow sundress pulled over her head, underwear on full display. I gulped, and found myself turning bright red. I slunk back behind the wall, praying she didn't see me…but not before noticing certain aspects of her body. I didn't want her to get angry, though, so I turned back and waited.

_For all her attitude…there's still something about her…meh. I don't get it. Oh well. I just need to concentrate on what's going on now. The Angel. _

I sat there and waited for a few minutes, concentrating on thinking only of the Angel. After about five minutes, I decided that she'd had more than enough time to change her clothes.

_It only takes me about thirty seconds…she's gotta be done by now!_

I peeked around the wall again, with fully innocent intentions, only to hear Asuka scream.

"Don't peep, you pervert!"

"Sorry!" I stammered.

_Jeez…_

I could hear Asuka muttering to herself about how perverted boys were, as I sat and sighed, embarrassed. After another five minutes, I finally heard the hissing of air that the plugsuit makes as it tightens.

_Finally…_

"Here we go, Asuka…" I heard her whisper to herself.

_BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM_

I heard the blast of four missiles, one right after another. I assumed that the military was attempting to destroy the Angel on their own, like they always did.

_They don't realize that it's useless…_

I glanced over at Asuka, now that it was safe to do so, and I saw a determined look on her face. She began running back towards the Eva, and I followed behind.

--

I caught the red plugsuit with both hands, cringing as I did so.

"Come on, let's go!" she said anxiously.

_Eh?_

She pointed at me with a disdainful look in her eyes, like she was talking to a child.

"You're coming with me."

_EH?_

I looked down at the plugsuit and understanding flooded into my brain. I cringed even more.

_Oh no. OH NO._

--

"Hey…why did we change into these plugsuits?" I called to Asuka, who was climbing up her Eva, towards the Entry Plug. I now had a new understanding of the word "embarrassment" as well; wearing this plugsuit was perhaps the most embarrassing thing I had ever been forced into. It gave my body the appearance of a girl. Oddly, though, Asuka didn't even mention this fact. I had expected her to make a mockery of it every chance she got.

"_Anta baka?_" she said, "What else? We're going to beat it with my Unit-02!" The Entry Plug shot out of the Eva's neck as she said so. I knew this was the right thing to do, but I didn't exactly feel motivated to do anything while I was wearing this plugsuit. So I protested.

"No way! Do you have permission from Misato-san?"

"I can get permission after I beat it," she replied matter-of-factly. Exactly what I expected as a reply, and what I was secretly thinking as well. She tapped a button on the side of the plug, and it opened up.

"Now I'll show you how magnificent my piloting is, up close and personal!" she said as we climbed inside, "Just don't disturb me."

_But…you've never battled anything real in your life. How can you be so confident? Do you actually enjoy piloting? _

Just then, I heard another crash. Another ship must have sunk. The door to the Entry Plug closed over us, and it shot into the Eva, locking in place. Asuka began the startup sequence, having immediately rushed for the pilot seat. I was positioned uncomfortably behind the chair. The familiar many-coloured lights flashed in front of me, and the Eva began starting up.

"_LCL f__ü__llong,_"she said.

_What is she saying? Is she speaking in German? It sounds so bizarre. _

"_Anfang der Bewegung. Anfang des Nervenanschlusses. Ausl__ösung von Linkskleigung. Synchro-start._"

All I understood was the last bit, but the interface obviously understood as the images began flashing over the viewscreen, as they did when I started Unit-01. However, after a few seconds, a beeping noise began coming from the speakers, and the word "Fehler" appeared all over the viewscreen. I guessed that it meant "error."

"Program error? What happened?" I asked.

"Thought noise! I told you not to disturb me," she said.

_But I didn't do anything!_

"What do you mean?"

"You're thinking in Japanese, aren't you? Think in German!"

_But I don't know German! Erm…_

"Oh, okay. Baumkuchen…"

"Idiot!" she yelled, "Just forget it. Switch the base language to Japanese."

_Couldn't you have just done that from the start…?_

The startup sequence began again, and the lights flashed. The viewscreen cleared, and then the Eva was active.

"Evangelion Unit-02, activate!"

--

As the Evangelion activated, I expected the familiar feeling of losing myself in it, and forgetting what was my body and what was the Eva's. Instead, however, I experienced no such feeling at all. Not even the familiar pressure in the side of my head. I assumed that it was because I wasn't wearing a headpiece, so there was nothing to transmit my thoughts, or however it worked. In any case, I felt like a helpless bystander as Evangelion Unit-02 slowly stood up.

The Eva had only been active for about ten seconds when a voice yelled at us from the speakers. It was that of the captain.

"No, abort the activation sequence! Reset it!" he ordered.

_Is he dense? Nothing else is working, obviously…_

As if on queue, Misato's voice cut in and spoke for us.

"Don't worry about him, Asuka! Just launch!"

_Like we were going to stop anyway…_

The captain wouldn't give up, in any case. "What are you saying?!" he yelled again, "You can't just violate my command authority over the Eva and its pilot!"

"What are you talking about? This is an emergency! Who gives a damn about your procedures?"

I sighed, and looked over at Asuka. She wasn't even paying attention. A look of calm pride had come over her face. She stood the Eva up on the deck, and I looked out over the carnage. Half the fleet had been decimated by now. Smoking, half-submerged ruins were everywhere. A sort of wave rushed around the fleet, similar to the wave that a boat makes as it speeds through the water, except the thing that made it was hidden. Whatever it was, it was big.

All of the sudden, I realized the obvious flaw in this battle. The Eva was a land-based weapon. This enemy was a _fish._

"Wouldn't it be bad if we fell in the sea?" I asked.

Asuka didn't even flinch, or give any impression that it mattered.

"So we don't fall in," she answered simply.

I supposed that Misato was able to hear me, as she addressed me for the first time.

"Shinji-kun, are you in there too?"

"Yes."

"Two kids…" the captain muttered condescendingly.

"Good chance to test it…Asuka, LAUNCH!" Misato finished enthusiastically.

The Angel must have noticed us finally, as the wave turned our way and began rushing towards us. Even from inside the Eva, I could hear the sound of water rushing our way. It was moving that quickly.

"It's coming," I muttered.

"Here we go."

Without so much as another word, Asuka leaped from the ship we were standing on, causing a rather large amount of destruction to the carrier below. She landed on a battleship nearby, crushing it and possibly injuring the people inside. She didn't notice any of this, of course. All she was focused on was killing the Angel.

"Where is it?"

I twisted my head around, in time to see the wave change direction and rush towards us again.

"That way!"

The timer beeped, and I remembered that the Eva wasn't plugged into any external power source.

"We've only got 58 seconds left!" I warned.

"I know that," Asuka said, "Misato! Get the external power supply onto the deck."

The Angel rushed towards us even quicker; I looked to Asuka anxiously, wondering when she was going to move.

"Understood."

"OK, we're going to jump!" Asuka said.

"Jump?"

Without another word, the Eva leaped again from its current spot, the canvas tent covering still draped around the Eva like a cloak. It crashed onto a nearby ship, destroying its deck as it landed. I swore that I heard someone scream "Run!" as it landed. She immediately leapt again, throwing the canvas off as she did so. Twice more she leaped, and finally came to rest on the deck of our original ship, the _Over the Rainbow_. I was incredibly dizzy by this point, and was clutching Asuka's seat for balance. An alarm went off, and railings were lifted up onto the deck, as if they would do any good.

"Eva-02, landing on deck!" Asuka exclaimed, obviously enjoying every bit of this.

This landing was a rough one, and the ship almost tipped all the way forward, into the ocean. All but three of the aircraft on deck were lost. I felt sure that somewhere, Kensuke was weeping manly tears.

I looked around for the Angel, and finally saw its wave.

"It's coming! Port, 9 o'clock!"

"Switching to external power!" Asuka said. She picked up the plug that had been rushed out on deck and plugged it into the Eva's back. The timer stopped beeping. One less distraction to deal with.

_Now for the Angel itself._

"Switch completed."

I then realized another flaw. We had no ranged weapons; nothing with which to shoot the Angel from land. The progressive knife would be useless if we couldn't get close. I voiced this concern to Asuka.

"The prog knife will be more than enough," she responded confidently, drawing the knife.

_OK…show me. _

Eva-02's progressive knife was also different. This one extended like a razor, and glowed purplish-pink as opposed to the green of Eva-01's knife. The Angel raced towards us, and its body became visible at the same time. It was very similar to a shark; its sleek white body cut through the water easily.

"It's pretty big," I commented.

"That's what I figured!" Asuka replied.

_Does ANYTHING bother her?_

She stood, progressive knife extended, waiting for the Angel to attack first. I bit my lip; should the Angel decide to simply destroy the ship instead of jump for the Eva itself, we were done for. We'd lose our power source; not to mention Misato, Kensuke, and Toji's lives. Luckily, however, it took the bait and jumped for us, onto the carrier's deck. Most of the remaining aircraft were destroyed in the leap. If Kensuke hadn't yet, he surely just suffered a heart attack.

"Good work stopping it, Asuka!" Misato exclaimed happily.

_She…did it…she's really good._

I could hear the captain yelling in the background angrily ("That's not funny! The flight deck is a mess!"), but he was ignored as usual. Asuka raised the progressive knife over the Angel, preparing to finish it, but at the same time she was struggling to keep it from pushing her off the carrier. The Eva's foot slipped backwards and pushed inwards on a retractable portion of the carrier. It tripped, tipping the carrier. Man and Angel toppled into the ocean, falling rapidly towards the bottom.

"Asuka!" Misato said, worried, "It's impossible to fight underwater with type-B equipment!"

_That's right…the Evas are equipped with B-type armour by default…the stuff's heavy. It makes it impossible to move._

"You never know until you try," Asuka said, the picture of calm.

_She has no idea…_

She was still holding onto the Angel, and it dragged her down farther, smashing into the old, pre-Second Impact city ruins. We were almost to New Yokosuka, apparently. These were the remains of the old city, untouched for fifteen years.

The umbilical cable was still attached, and it unreeled as the Angel dragged us farther and farther from the carrier. We were going to run out, probably sooner than later. And Asuka didn't realize that combat was literally _impossible._

"I've got to do something…" I muttered.

"The cable's going to run out! Brace for the shock!" Misato warned.

Almost immediately as she said so, the cable did run out. I heard a grinding noise from the back of the Eva, a painful-sounding grinding of mechanical parts. We were jerked backwards, and forced to let go of the Angel.

"Shoot!" Asuka said.

_Now what?_

I began to look around for the Angel again, but there was no need. Its dark outline was directly in front of us, turning around to face us.

"It's coming again!" I warned.

"I'll finish it off this time," Asuka said confidently.

_No you won't…_

She pulled the handle-grips backwards, as I did when concentrating on righting myself. However, as I expected, the Eva didn't even move in the slightest. Asuka's mask of confidence seemed to shatter before my eyes. Her face contorted, first into surprise, then into rage.

"W…what?! It's not working!" she stammered.

"That's because this is B-type equipment."

As expected, she turned angrily to me.

"What're you going to do?!"

"What am I _supposed_ to do?" I replied, the tiniest hint of condescension in my voice.

"You're pretty pitiful for being the Third Child!" she answered, pouting.

I ignored her, and turned to look at the Angel, which had begun its approach.

"Here it comes!"

The Angel swam towards us, and its long, thin snout opened, revealing an enormous mouth, lined with pointed teeth.

"A mouth?!" Asuka screamed.

Still searching for a way to survive, I noticed that its core was at the very center of its mouth, smaller than the other Angels', but still the core.

"Well, it is an Angel…" I said, mostly to myself.

The Angel swam directly at us, and before we could even attempt to move, bit down hard. Half of the Eva's body was inside the mouth, and its teeth were crushing the Eva. I noticed Asuka wince in pain as the Eva was bitten, and she grabbed her side with her hand, and she wasn't moving. She seemed to have lost all her fire, and given up. I leaned over and grabbed the controls, attempting to establish some sort of synchronization with the Eva and perhaps find a way out of this.

The result, however, was mixed. I felt a strange, out-of-body sensation, as if I was half inside my body and half-inside the Eva. I could look down and see both myself, leaning over Asuka to wrench the controls from her, as well as what I was seeing inside my body (Asuka's shivering legs and the floor of the Eva cockpit). It wasn't synchronization, for sure. In fact, it almost felt as if something was blocking me from the Eva. I hadn't time to dwell on it, however. I blinked and shook my head, returning to my body, having given up trying to synchronize.

"We're in a bit of a pinch right now…"

"Shut up!" Asuka retorted, as if I had insulted her. I heard her gasp, then she pushed me away with, "Hey, get off me already, you pervert!"

_Is that really what she's thinking right now? Her modesty, over her life?_

"But we've got to free ourselves somehow."

"Asuka, do you read me?" Misato's voice from the speakers, "Don't let go, no matter what!"

_Eh? Don't let go? It's trying to eat us! Shouldn't we want to get out of its mouth?_

"What does she have in mind?" I asked, mostly to myself.

"I have no idea!" Asuka said, still shoving me off. I finally gave up, and allowed her to push me off to the side. Wasting energy was not a good idea.

It was a good minute or two before we heard from Misato again. It was probably the longest minute or two of my life; sitting inside the mouth of an alien shark with no one but a red-haired German girl who hates my guts for company, but she finally spoke again, this time with a plan.

"We're going to reel in the umbilical cable, pulling you and the Angel up. Meanwhile, we're scuttling the two remaining battleships and then sending them down the line of the cable, heading straight for the Angel's mouth. Meanwhile, you two have to get the Angel's mouth open so the battleships can get inside, fire their cannons, and self destruct, destroying the target. All you have to do is just get the mouth open. Got it?"

"That's…impossible!" Asuka retorted, incredulous.

"It's the only way," Misato said.

Asuka's face fell, obviously in disagreement with Misato's plan. I took this as an opportunity to reassert myself in the seat of the Eva, concentrating all of my mental strength on establishing some form of connection, just enough to get its mouth open.

_Concentrate…_

But getting past that mental barrier was nearly impossible, and it didn't help that Asuka was screaming in my ear and hitting me in the head, refusing to allow me to try anything.

"Hey! Don't use Unit-02 without my permission!" she was saying adamantly.

"Do the two of you understand the operation?" Misato asked.

"I'll do my best," I replied, voice strained as Asuka as currently yanking on my ears and hair.

_I wish she would just sit down and let me save us both! She's so irritating! Doesn't she realize that she is going to DIE?_

My thoughts were immediately interrupted as the cable was pulled back. It had begun being reeled in by the machine. The machinery inside the Eva made more grinding noises, obviously strained almost to the breaking point. It held, however, and we began moving upwards, towards the surface.

I concentrated harder, but I still was getting nowhere. The mental barrier wouldn't even bend.

"Hey, how long are you going to stay there? Get off me already!" Asuka said.

_WE…ARE GOING…TO DIE…_

"But we've got to pry open its mouth soon, or we'll be killed too!"

I heard a sharp intake of breath, and a suppressed sniffle. Her grip on my hair relaxed, and she slumped back in the chair.

_Finally._

I continued to concentrate, staring intently at the core of the Angel, praying that I could somehow get it to work.

_If Asuka would just cooperate, this would be easy…what's WRONG with her?  
_

"It's not working!" I cried, hoping to get her to help.

"There's no time left!" Asuka said.

Her face hardened, and some of her old confidence came back. I pulled the controls back, and extended the upper handles, which she grasped, over my hands. As she did so, the mental barrier completely disappeared, and I felt the sensation of falling through the air, to finally land in a pool of warm water. I was finally able to synch with the Eva. It was not as crisp or clear as with Unit-01, but Asuka was there as well. I could feel her. And it would be enough.

"You're not going to make it! Hurry!" Misato implored.

"Don't get any strange ideas," Asuka said.

"About what?" I replied, face strained and contorted from concentration.

"Anyway, just focus your thoughts."

"I know!"

I concentrated on nothing but opening its mouth. I repeated the word over and over in my head, pushing up with all my strength. I somehow sensed Asuka doing the same. And I could feel the jaw finally moving. Slowly but surely. We pushed as hard as we could, using the control as a focus, repeating the word.

_Open! Open! Open! Open!_

As we did so, my individual feeling completely went away, and there was no distinction of where I ended and Asuka began. We were one, focusing on but one thought: Opening its mouth. And with this feeling came new strength. The mouth was opened and the battleships, mere feet away at this point, rushed into its mouth, ripping it apart. There was a series of explosions, and the Angel itself exploded in a rain of blood and flesh. The Eva itself was flung to the surface of the water and into the air, landing on a nearby carrier. It deactivated on impact. Asuka and I both sighed.

"We did it…"

"Yes, it's over. Now GET OFF!" Asuka screamed, for the thousandth time.

I did so, chuckling as I leaned back against the wall of the cockpit, remembering the feeling of synchronization mere seconds ago. Maybe she wasn't that bad. Maybe. She probably was, though.

--


	3. Coordination

2.2: SEIGOU (正ごう)

"Hey, hey, you seen her yet?"

"Oh yeah, yeah!"

"Seen who?"

"You dork, you haven't seen the _gaijin_ yet?"

"_Gaijin?_"

"Yeah, she's in 8th grade, Class A. She just transferred here last week."

"She's hot!"

"Her name's Soryu Asuka Langley, did you know that?"

_Jeez…what's with people?_

I walked, palm-to-face, past hordes of would-be suitors for the elusive foreign redhead. For some inexplicable reason, there was only one topic of conversation among the entire population of boys at the school. Soryu Asuka Langley. Someone had even set up a business selling photos of her. How they came by said photos I didn't know, and prayed Asuka would never find out. I'd heard rumours that it was Kensuke and Toji, but I didn't think that was possible; even Toji wasn't that stupid.

"Hello! Shinji!"

I cringed and turned around slowly.

_Talk of the devil…_

"_Guten morgen!_" she said brightly.

I returned her greeting hesitantly.

"Hey, why so gloomy this early? This is the gorgeous Asuka greeting you!" Asuka said, with all sorts of flourishes and arrogant facial expressions.

She walked right up to me and looked me in the eye.

"Be more happy about it!" she said almost as an order, as she flicked me unaffectionately in the forehead

_My God, it's gone to her head. She's ENJOYING this. And I have to be with her every day…somebody help me…_

She turned from me, face still brimming with that same confident expression.

"So the other one's here too, isn't she?"

"Who's that?"

"_Anta baka?_ I'm talking about the First Child of course!"

"Oh, if it's Ayanami…"

She turned and looked down the escalator, where Ayanami was sitting at a bench by the tennis court, reading as usual. I heard heavy breathing over my shoulder, and looking behind me I saw that the entire area was filled with people. Asuka was both attracting a crowd and holding up the escalator.

_And she's completely oblivious…_

She finally started down the escalator, and walked up to Ayanami. She stood over her, looking down expectantly. Ayanami just ignored her presence.

"Hello!" Asuka said, "You must be Ayanami Rei, the pilot of the prototype."

Rei didn't respond; she just looked at her without turning her head, the tiniest hint of irritation in her eyes.

"I'm Asuka! Soryu Asuka Langley!"

The crowd had followed Asuka down the elevator and was now standing behind her, watching.

"I'm the pilot of Eva Unit-02. Let's be good friends!"

"Why?" Rei replied flatly.

"Because it'd be convenient, in lots of ways!"

"If I'm ordered to, I will."

Asuka's face fell.

"Talk about odd…"

Having chosen not to follow the crowd, I had instead walked with Toji and Kensuke to stand elsewhere, looking down on the spectacle.

"I'll say," Toji remarked, "Are only weirdos chosen to be pilots?"

"Heh, sure seems like it," I sighed.

Toji and Kensuke looked at me, and then we all burst out laughing. It really wasn't that funny, but it was good to be able to laugh with someone.

_This is…nice. This life._

As per usual, I was shaken out of my thoughts by an external distraction. This time, it was my cell phone. It was Misato.

"Shinji-kun?"

"Yes, Misato-san?"

"An unidentified object has been sighted. It's an Angel. Get Asuka and Rei and hurry to the cages!"

"Understood."

--

We were immediately taken from the cages to an air transport. The Eighth Angel, Israfel as named by the data uploaded to the Eva's viewscreen, was in the water just north of the Kii peninsula. We were being transported to the Angel itself, rather than wait for it to approach us. Ayanami was not with us; she said that my father had something special for her to do. I didn't press the matter. What my father wanted was his business.

_Still…I can't help but wonder. She barely knows anything about him, but HE hurt himself trying to save her…what's going on?_

I decided it better to focus on the battle at hand, so I put these thoughts aside for now. Misato had just begun briefing us for the battle.

"The recent battle severely damaged the intercept system of Tokyo-3. We've only effected 26 of the repairs at present. And our capacity for actual combat is virtually nil," she explained, "Therefore, we'll crush the target in a single blow at the water's edge, right before it makes landfall!"

_That makes sense._

"Units 01 and 02 will mount an attack in a series of waves. In other words, close in and take turns."

_Take turns? I doubt if Asuka will be up for that._

"Roger," we both said.

"This sucks. It's my Japanese debut. Why won't she let me take it out myself?" Asuka complained, predictably.

"It can't be helped. That's the strategy," I said.

"Let me tell you something, just don't get in my way!"

I grunted a sound of agreement and closed the visual connection channel.

"Why did someone like him get chosen to be a pilot?" Asuka muttered.

_I heard that. Only the visual connection was closed…audio connection runs all the time. What's wrong with you? This isn't a game._

I didn't speak up however, having no wish to provoke a fight. Instead, I just waited for the air drop, which came shortly. We landed cleanly on the beach, just as a pair of external power cables were rolled up to us. As I picked one up, I heard Asuka complain yet again.

"Two against one isn't a fair fight. I don't like it. Not my style."

_Will she ever stop whining? _

"We don't have the luxury of choosing our means to survive," Misato said.

_Exactly._

Both of us picked a weapon that had been brought with the weapons. I chose a standard rifle; Asuka picked an Eva-sized spear. We stood at the ready, looking off into the ocean. The area we stood at had once been part of a town. The Second Impact had raised the water level; every coastal town in Japan ended up completely underwater. Tops of buildings poked up from the water randomly. It didn't take long for the Angel to make a move. It stood up, accompanied by a large splash of water.

"Here it comes!" I said.

The Angel rose completely out of the water and began moving straight for us. Its green body, roughly the size of the first Angel I fought, glided quickly across the ocean. Its face was similar to a yin and yang symbol tilted on its side, except this was red and blue. Its grey arms were raised, three sharp claws on each.

"Commence attack!" Misato ordered.

As I expected, Asuka immediately began running for the Angel, spear in hand.

"OK, I'll go first! Back me up!"

"Back you up?"

"Ladies first!"

"Sheesh, don't order me around!" I said, irritated, "You're the new one!" Grudgingly, I provided cover fire as Asuka charged in. The shots had no effect, as per the usual. Asuka took a crouching position closer to the target.

"I can take him!"

"Eh?"

She leaped from her crouching position to another half-submerged building a few yards closer. She went from this one to another, then leaped high into the air. She raised her spear high above her head, screaming a battle cry.

_Show off…_

She sliced the Angel down the middle, cutting it cleanly in two. It didn't even try to fight back.

"Amazing!" I said, mostly to myself, hoping she didn't hear. Despite her annoying attitude, she did have skill.

"Well, Third Child?!" Asuka boasted.

_Oh great. Here she goes._

"A fight should be elegant and without waste," she said.

_Hang on a second…all the other Angels exploded in a bloody mess when they were killed. But this one didn't bleed a bit…something's wrong._

As if to confirm my suspicions, the Angel's body began to twitch. First slightly, then more and more. Its face twisted back into its body, to be replaced with a nondescript grey one. I gasped, as did Asuka. The two halves began to stand up, and their old skins fell off, healing the damaged flesh. The Angel had divided into two, separate but entirely alive, Angels.

"That's CHEATING!" Misato yelled.

--

"Today at 10:58:15 AM, Unit-01 was attacked by Target A, which split from the target submerged 2 km off Suruga Bay."

I slumped forward in my seat, embarrassed. The Angel had beaten me easily. I was humiliated in front of every adult at Nerv. A picture of my Eva, upside-down in the water, was projected on the screen. I heard Asuka chuckle at the sight. My face burned with irritation, but I hid it.

"At the same time, plus 20 seconds, Unit-02 was halted by Target B."

A picture of Eva-02, upside-down in the ground, appeared next to the old picture. I had to stifle a laugh. It was even more pathetic than my loss. At least it's easy to be submerged in WATER.

"We have a comment from the chair of Project E."

Ritsuko's voice replaced that of Maya.

"This is pathetic."

Asuka stood up promptly, to complain at me as per the usual.

"This is all your fault! You totally screwed up my debut battle!"

I couldn't take it any more, I had already suffered a loss, I wasn't going to let her pin it on me.

"What are you talking about? Soryu's the one who did something stupid!"

"Stupid?! Where does a lamebrain like you get off calling me that? That's just shameless!"

"What do you mean?! We got in this trouble because you were in such a rush to defeat it!"

"What was that? You look like a drowned rat! How lame!"

Maya's voice started again over Asuka's, but she kept going, and I kept retorting, oblivious to the ten-odd other people in the room.

"At 11:03 AM, Nerv abandoned the operation…"

"Like you can talk!"

The pictures behind us changed with a _click. _I turned to look at the screen.

"…and transferred command to the UN Secondary Force."

"You've humiliated us…" Fuyutsuki muttered darkly.

"At 11:05 AM, the UN forces made an attack with an N2 mine."

The pictures showed a slide show of the bomb exploding, ending with a map of the area. Various pieces were blown out of it by the bomb's blast radius.

"We'll have to redraw the map again," Fuyutsuki said.

"They succeeded in burning off 28 of the target's structural substance."

"Did they kill it?" Asuka asked.

"This is merely temporary relief. A second attack is a matter of time." Fuyutsuki replied.

"At least it bought us time to regroup, so we got something out of it," Kaji commented brightly.

Fuyutsuki stood up.

"Listen up, you two."

He paused.

"Do you know what your job is?"

_Piloting Eva?_

Asuka said the same aloud. I was glad I didn't.

"No! Your job is to defeat the Angels," he corrected, "Nerv does not exist to make grotesque displays like this. Therefore, you two must cooperate."

"Why should we?!" we both yelled at each other.

"Enough already," Fuyutsuki sighed, and took an elevator down to a lower level.

The lights turned on, and people began to file out.

"Why's everyone so touchy here?" Asuka asked loudly to Kaji.

"It's because adults don't like to be embarrassed," he replied.

_Neither do I…_

"Where's Misato-san?" I asked.

"Cleaning things up. The person in charge exists to take responsibility."

--

"I'm home!" I said as I walked in the door, "Not that anyone's here, of course, but…" I trailed off and just walked inside.

I walked down the hallway to my room, either not noticing or registering the piles of boxes stacked in the hallway. I did, however, notice the ones stacked all throughout my room.

"What is this?!" I yelled.

"Don't be so rude!"

_Oh no. No…COME ON! HERE TOO?_

Sure enough, I turned around to see Soryu Asuka Langley, standing in my bedroom, drinking a soda, dressed as if she lived here.

"These are my personal belongings!"

"What are you doing here?!"

"It's more like, why are you still here?" she replied simply, as if talking to a servant.

"Still here?"

She smiled, false pity all over her face.

"You've been dumped for the new model!"

_Eh?_

She walked up to me, and looked me straight in the eye. I cringed.

"Misato will be living with me," she said slowly.

_What the…you come here, you share my school, my job, and now you're taking my HOME too?_

"Well, it's the logical choice when you consider whose abilities are superior," she said, "Although honestly, I'd rather live with Kaji-san!"

I couldn't even manage to articulate a reply. I was stunned by this new, irritating turn of events.

"But why are Japanese rooms so small, anyway? Not even half my stuff fits!"

_Even now she can compla—WHAT'S THAT?_

I turned around slightly, only to see all of my few belongings thrown haphazardly into a box which sat in the kitchen. I walked slowly over there, still stunned.

"On top of which, why don't the Japanese have any sense of privacy?" she continued, obviously beginning a whole rant on why the German way is so much better than ours. "How can they live in rooms without locks? Unbelievable!"

"It's because the Japanese way is to consider the priorities and needs of others before one's own," Misato said, having just walked in the door.

"Misato-san!" I said, as a greeting.

"Welcome home!" she said, "Looks like you're getting along well already."

"What do you mean?" I asked at the same time as Asuka.

"This is all preparation for the next operation."

"How's that?" I (we) asked.

--

"The Eighth Angel has one and only one weakness!" Misato instructed after grabbing a beer and changing her clothes.

"A simultaneous two-point attack on each target's core while its components are separated."

_Simultaneous? _

"In other words, an attack by two Evas with perfectly synchronized timing."

_Synchronized?  
_

"For that, we'll need cooperation and perfect coordination from you two."

We turned to look at each other.

_Cooperation? Perfect coordination??_

"Therefore, I'm having you two live together."

_LIVE TOGETHER??_

Asuka obviously had the same reaction, as we both shrieked at the same time. However, she was the one to protest.

"No way! It's always been said that boys and girls shouldn't sleep together after age seven!"

_THAT isn't the issue. It's that I don't think I can survive even one day in close quarters with THIS girl._

"The Angel is currently restoring itself. It will begin its second assault in six days, so there's no time."

"But that's crazy!" Asuka moaned, slumping in her seat.

"So here's how to make the crazy possible," Misato continued, "In order for you to master perfect unison, you'll memorize the attack pattern that's been coordinated to this music," she instructed as she pulled out a tape.

"In six days, as soon as possible."

We turned to look at each other again, both wearing dismayed expressions. Asuka immediately looked away, defiant.

_This…is going to be hell._

--


	4. A Moment, Hearts Overlap

_Author's Notes: Here it is. After over a month of procrastination, 2.25 is here in full. Two weeks of my abscence can be blamed on vacation, but it's really just laziness. But I really enjoyed working on this chapter, and I think it's one of my best. A huge thanks to my waifu/equal gender partner Sailor Star Dust for all of her help and badgering involving this chapter, as well as a thanks to Eric Blair for pointing out a few mistakes. Without further nonsense, here's 2.25._

_A quick note on shipping in this fic, as I think this is the most appropriate place for it: A/S fans, this may be your only chance to really squeal, so take advantage of it. I do not openly write A/S, R/S, M/S, R/S or anybody/S, as personally I think that Shinji's a bit too messed up to support a relationship not based on mutual necessity. The only pairing you will find openly acknowledged in this fic is Misato/Kaji. (Besides Gendou/Yui, for obvious reasons) Otherwise, Shinji and co. are all confused teenagers, and they're just exploring ideas and possibilities. _

REBUILD OF  
EVANGELION  
2.25: A MOMENT, HEARTS OVERLAP

"Here is how this will work," Misato continued after we recovered from the shock, "You see that pad over there? Each of you will take a spot on it, and copy the steps that it gives you. Each step is tuned to a note in the music. You will be graded based on your accuracy and synchronization."

She pointed to the far wall, where two Twister-like pads had been set up, with an electronic score keeper behind each one.

_That doesn't sound too bad. But still, why does she have to live with me?_

"That'll be no problem!" Asuka said, "With my skills, I should be able to overcompensate for the Third's lack thereof!"

I chose not to retort, as I had no desire to start a fight. I had decided to simply ignore the Second altogether, for the sake of the mission.  
"Oh, one more thing," Misato added, now grinning.

"Yes?"

"During your training, you will wear these all the time. The Japanese dress for the occasion, after all!" she said brightly.

She held up a bag containing clothes. Asuka and I reached in and pulled out two near-identical sets of clothing. They were unmistakably dance uniforms, complete with tights, likely stolen from a children's dance class. Mine was blue, Asuka's was pink. Both had little music notes in the center of the shirt.

"No WAY, Misato! Living with this baka is enough to deal with, but dressing like him too! I can't stand it!"

--

It had been three days since Misato had given us the insurmountable task of working together, and we were no closer. In fact, our relationship had devolved into constant confrontation. Asuka would not accept that she was just as lousy at coordinating as I was, and constantly blamed me for our low scores. It was during one of these many rants when the doorbell rang.

_A reprieve? Finally…_

I removed my headset (it played the music for the attack in my head on a loop) and began walking towards the door, followed by Asuka.

"Yes?" we both called.

I walked to the door and reached for the knob. Asuka tried to push me out of the way, but merely succeeded in pushing my head down, so her head rested on top of mine. I was able to awkwardly pull the door open, and surveyed our visitors with a downcast expression.

"T…traitor!" Touji gasped.

"Matching outfits again, in this day and age? I can't believe this!" Kensuke said.

It was, of course, Touji, Kensuke, and the Class Representative, Hikari. Touji was, surprisingly, clad in his school uniform for once. Both boys looked absolutely terrified and embarrassed, while anger slowly spread over Hikari's face.

"Well, Misato-san said that Japanese start by dressing the part, so she made us…" we (Asuka and I) stammered, burning with embarrassment.

"That's filthy, you two!" Hikari shrieked.

"You're…you're wrong!"

"Two wrongs don't make a right!"

"Oh, welcome everybody!"

_Misato-san!_

Asuka and I turned to look around the corner, where Misato and Rei stood. Misato was chuckling at the spectacle.

"Could ya please explain what this is about?" Touji asked.

--

After grabbing a beer or three, Misato sat them down and explained the operation, which was met by raucous laughter from the three.

"You shouda told us that to begin with!" Touji said.

"So how is the coordination going?" Hikari asked eagerly.

"Well…as you can see…" Misato said.

Throughout the explanation, Asuka and I had begun another round of practice. We hadn't improved at all since the beginning; in fact, we seemed to have gotten worse. Asuka would go too fast, and I tripped up trying to keep up with her. In her anger, she threw her headset on the ground, yelling about how inferior I was.

"Are you surprised?! There's NO WAY I could lower myself down to Shinji's level! It's just an utterly impossible idea!"

"Then you give up?" Misato asked coolly.

"You don't have anyone else, do you?"

"Rei?"

Asuka's face fell immediately.

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Why don't you try?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Rei donned a headset and took her place on the pad. Her presence was calming; being next to anyone who wasn't overflowing with anger was a nice change. And as soon as the music started, I found I was able to concentrate. In fact, it was positively easy. Rei adjusted her speed and timing to mine exactly, so I just had to follow the music.

"It looks like I should alter the operation to pair Shinji and Rei," Misato said.

I heard Asuka give an audible gasp, but I ignored it and continued on. As the music approached its final notes, I heard Asuka start yelling, once again, in anger.

"No! I can't stand this! I've had enough!"

_Eh?_

I stopped and looked over in time to watch Asuka slam the door behind her, walking out of the apartment.

"Asuka-san!" Hikari called after her.

"Even the Devil cries sometimes…" Touji said solemnly.

_Wow…she's really upset…_

"IKARI-KUN!"

_?_

I turned to look at Hikari, removing my headset.

"Go after her!"

"Erm…"

"You made a girl cry! Take responsibility!"

_How the hell is this MY fault?_

_--_

I followed Asuka down to the drugstore, which was located within the apartment complex, ignoring the strange looks people were giving me, likely due to my current attire.

_How did I get stuck following her again? I didn't DO anything. She decided to get angry because Rei was better at being…well…an agreeable person._

I found Asuka crouched down, examining the sodas in the back of the drugstore.

"Um…" I began.

"Don't say anything," Asuka said.

I bent down to her level.

"I know," she continued, "I have no choice but to pilot the Eva."

She stood up.

"I'll do it."

--

"Since it's come to this, I'll show up both Rei and Misato!" Asuka declared.

After much sulking and talking to herself, Asuka had finally come to a decision. She would cooperate with me, but she wasn't going to like it.

"You don't have to show them up or anything."

"You're being too easy on them! You're a man, aren't you?"

_Again with the "aren't you a boy?" thing. Jeez. Why does it matter? She's more manly than most guys I've met…although…when she isn't directly abusing me, she's kind of attractive…_

"For their attack…" she took a bite of her sandwich but continued speaking, "…on my pride…" she spat crumbs as she spoke, "I'll pay them back ten times over!"

She turned to face the setting sun, and began to drink her soda in one go. I sort-of thought that I understood what she was talking about, although I was still confused as to why it was such a big deal. A small smile tugged at my face. And for some reason, I was finding my irritation against her dissipating, which was very disconcerting, but probably for the best.

--

Asuka walked up to the calendar the next morning and circled the attack date in red marker. Today was the 8th, the attack was the 11th. We only had three days left. It seemed that Asuka was at least determined to make good on her promise, as she demanded that we begin training immediately.

After wolfing down a hurried breakfast, Asuka pulled me over to the training pads. As the music started, she began concentrating intently. I tried to follow along, but she was going too fast. I tried to match her speed, but I ended up losing my balance and falling over onto her mat. She promptly kicked me out of the way with her customary angry yell.

"You're too slow, Third! Do I honestly have to slow myself down so much to match you?"

"I'm trying! When I try to go faster, I just trip myself up!"

"OK, fine. I'll slow down a bit. But only because I have to."

We spent the entire rest of that day trying to come to a speed that we could both agree on. By the end of the day, our average score had gone up from 0 to 15. Not exactly promising. At least we were so tired from the day's efforts that we didn't argue for an hour before falling asleep like the previous nights. Asuka was right about one thing: Sleeping together in the same room was not a good idea.

The next day did not get off to a better start. Both of us were equally determined to improve today, so we both rushed to the bathroom at the same time, therefore we were continuously pushing each other out of the way to brush our teeth and whatnot. The rest of the day progressed without much incident. We worked even harder on the training program, boosting our score from 15 to 25; which although an improvement, was not good enough. Asuka and I simply did not get along. We couldn't even agree on a simple TV channel.

The next day began in a similar manner. Asuka woke up well before I did, and apparently went straight for the bathroom. I woke up, and immediately found that I had to use the restroom. I went to the bathroom and turned the knob, which was met with screams of "Don't peek, ecchi!" I stood outside the bathroom and waited. Pen Pen decided to stand next to me, for whatever reason. I doubted that he knew how to use the toilet, but you never really knew with Pen Pen.

I looked at the clock. I had been standing there for twenty minutes. I was beginning to lose control. She had to get out soon, or there would be rather embarrassing consequences.

"Asu…ka…hurry…up!" I stammered.

As if I spoke a password, the door slammed open, smashing me in the face. Pen Pen dashed in and made for the toilet. I grabbed him and tossed him out of the room, now in actual physical pain.

However, after the bathroom incident, things seemed to improve. I cooked lunch, which received, surprisingly, a grudging compliment from Asuka. It wasn't without sting, however, as she likened me to a housewife.

_Whatever. A compliment from Asuka is something I won't hear often. I'll just ignore the last bit._

Misato had left us a message on the telephone, warning us that she'd be out late that night, so we needed to do our own laundry. I gathered up all of our clothes and tossed them into the machine, then hung them up on the clothesline, which was outside, over the balcony, to dry. Asuka seemed to have retired to her room.

_Finally, a moment's peace._

I withdrew my SDAT from my pocket and put it in. Even when I wasn't feeling bad, I tended to use it to drown out the ever-constant drone of cicadas. I closed my eyes and just relaxed.

I had only been sitting there for a few minutes before the balcony door flew open. Asuka had been wondering where her clothing had gone, and was surprised to see that I had washed it all for her.

"You're really handy, Third Child. It's like having my own maid!"

She looked down and eyed my SDAT.

"You still use one of those old things? MP3 players are what we used back in Germany! They're digital, so you can have hundreds of songs all on one…"

Asuka had begun on another Germany-is-so-much-better-than-Japan rant, so I turned up the volume on my SDAT and ignored her. The track clicked onto Track 25.

"Hey, what are you listening to, anyway?"

"Um…just a bit of this…and that…"

My face began to burn slightly; Track 25 was by Kotono Mitsuishi, a female pop artist. Hardly what Asuka would likely expect a "boy" to be listening to.

"Oh really? I can't help but wonder what the great Third Child listens to in his spare time. Let's find out!"

She bent down and reached for one of my headphones. I began to stammer in protest; however nothing could deter Asuka when she was interested. I cringed and looked away as she put it into her ear, expecting a hearty laugh. However, three seconds went by without laugh, and I was startled to see Asuka looking at me with newfound appreciation, humming the melody.

"Wait a second, the great Third Child listens to Kotono Mitsuishi? I underestimated you. I happen to love her music as well! Perhaps you aren't as bad as I had first thought."

_Eh? We have something in COMMON? Wow. That was the opposite reaction I expected._

We ended up spending the next half-hour together, listening to the remaining tracks on my SDAT player, with Asuka either praising or criticizing my music tastes. However, she seemed less hostile already. That day, we made remarkable progress on the simulator, increasing our average score all the way from 25 to 95. By the end of the day, we even managed a 100. We made it.

--

That night, we decided to celebrate our victory by wearing other clothes. We had gotten sick and tired of the matching outfits over the last six days. Asuka decided to take a shower as well. I picked up a manga magazine and laid down on my bed, half-listening to my SDAT.

After an hour-long shower, Asuka emerged.

"Where's Misato?" she asked.

"At work. She called earlier. She'll be there all night."

Asuka walked by my room and looked at me, smiling.

"So that means we're all alone tonight!" Asuka said brightly, winking.

These words could have meant a variety of things; however, one possible meaning jumped out at me.

_She's not…hinting at me…right? She can't be. No way…no…maybe?_

Asuka, however, seemed to just treat it as a passing remark. She walked over and scooped up her bedding, and carried it over into Misato's bedroom. She closed the door behind her, then turned around and opened it again.

"This is the impenetrable Wall of Jericho. Take one step over this wall and you're a dead man."

She paused and looked at me, and I couldn't help but notice that her shirt was hanging a bit too low. That, and her suggestive comment earlier, as well as her current behavior all screamed at me to go over the wall anyway.

But I wasn't sure.

So I didn't.

"And now, it's time for children to go to bed," she finished, slamming the door behind her.

_Children? She's no less of a child than I am, whether she knows it or not…_

Regardless, I lay in my bed, thoughts and nerves racing through my brain. The next day was the attack. I had no idea how it was going to end up. We got a perfect score once, but that was only one time. Every other time, we messed up on the ending. What if we missed the core? Or if our timing was off and it regenerated? The Evas would only have enough power for one try. If we blew it, it was over. Tokyo-3 would be lost. Touji, Kensuke, the Class Rep, they'd all lose their homes, maybe even their lives! If we messed up, it was over.

_I haven't heard a peep out of Asuka…I wonder if she's doing OK?_

"Hey, Soryu, are you awake?"

It was a full minute before she decided to respond.

"Yeah…"

"I can't sleep. I'm too nervous about tomorrow."

"Just relax…if you get worried about it, you won't sleep and you won't be able to do well tomorrow! We'll be fine!"

"But aren't you…afraid? Or nervous?"  
"Of course not! We got a perfect score, remember?"

"Yeah…I suppose."

I remained quiet for a while before I spoke up again.

"Hey, Soryu?"

"What, Third Child?"

"There's something I've been wanting to ask you."

"What?"

"Why…do you pilot Eva?"

"Why? Because I was chosen! I'm elite! No one else can do what I can do. And everyone praises me!"

_!!_

"So…" I prodded tentatively, "You pilot Eva to be recognized by others?"

"I guess…but it's more so I can praise myself, if you have to put it so bluntly."

"I see…"

_She's…like…me. She pilots Eva for others. For the praise that others give her. To be recognized. _

_Maybe…maybe we aren't so different. Behind her attitude, she pilots Eva for the same basic reasons that I do. _

"Soryu?"

"What now, Third Child? You're so weird sometimes…"

"I…nothing. Never mind."

_"I'm glad you stayed here instead of giving the mission to Rei" is laying it on a bit thick…_

"By the way, Asuka," she said.

"What?" I replied, confused.

"Call me Asuka. It's so weird hearing you call me 'Soryu.' Only adults call me that."

"Um…OK, Asuka."

"Now let me sleep, Third Child."

"Goodnight."

With that, I rolled over and was able to find sleep quickly.

--

"Operation, begin!" Misato called.

"Roger!" Asuka and I replied.

"Ready, Third Child?"

"Ready! Eva Launch!"

I felt the familiar sensation of being catapulted upward, and quickly found myself standing next to Asuka, in the streets of Tokyo-3. The Angel, Israfel, was standing straight ahead of us.

"Let's go!" Asuka yelled. She leaped into the air, and the music began to play. I concentrated all my energy on leaping with her, but the Eva remained stationary.

"No, NO!"

The Angel split in two, and one half went straight for Asuka. I pushed as hard as I could on the handgrips, but the Eva wouldn't budge.

"Dammit, move!"

I heard Asuka scream over the communicator, but I couldn't see where she was. The other half loomed in front of me, closing in.

"MOVE!"

--

I jerked awake. It was still that night in Misato's apartment. I had been dreaming.

_I'm pathetic…I can't even sleep without having anxiety overcome me._

As I rolled back over to try to sleep again, I heard something coming from Asuka's room. Moaning.

"Ma…ma…"

_Asuka?_

"Mama…mama…"

_She talks in her sleep? She's calling for her mother…_

I found myself standing up and slowly walking over to her room. I took care not to make any noise as I walked. I didn't want to wake her up.

_Why am I doing this? Why does it matter that she talks in her sleep?_

I inched the door to her room open and stepped inside.

_Well, I suppose the Wall of Jericho came tumbling down after all…_

I walked up to her and knelt down beside her bed. I could see that she was crying.

"Mama…mama…why…"

She reached out slowly with her hand, and it brushed up against mine. She immediately grabbed it and held onto it tightly.

"Mama…you're here…Mama…"

Her tears began to stop. A childish smile spread all over her face. She gripped my hand tightly and I heard the smallest hint of a happy laugh.

"Mama…mama…"

She fell silent after this, but she held onto my hand for another five minutes before letting go. I stood up and looked down at her. She seemed so timid, so fragile, so…childish. She looked nothing at all like the girl that I had been butting heads with all week. Here was undeniable proof that the Second Child, Soryu Asuka Langley, had a soul after all.

"You really are…just a child like me…" I said under my breath. I saw her stir. I decided I had better return to my bed. While I had no harmful intentions, I knew that she would definitely not see it that way. I slowly walked back to my room. As I opened the door, I could have sworn I heard a choke, as if fighting back a tear. I looked back, and I could see Asuka still wore that blissfully happy smile. I smiled myself, and walked back to my bed. Sleep came easy, and I did not dream the rest of the night.

--

That morning, if Asuka did, in fact, notice my presence last night, she did not make mention of it. There wasn't time, actually. Immediately after waking up, we showered, ate, and then Misato took us straight to Nerv HQ. Asuka and I sat in the backseat, neither of us looking at each other, both lost in our own thoughts, mentally preparing for the fight ahead.

_This is it…all of that time…I think we're ready. We can do it. _

After the relatively short drive to Nerv HQ, Misato rushed us directly to the locker rooms. We changed our clothes in silence. After Asuka finished changing, the barrier lifted and we looked at each other. Our eyes met, and both of us were equally determined.

"Ready, Asuka?" I asked.

"Ready. Let's go."

Misato was waiting for us outside the locker room. She took us to the Eva cages, and then left for the command center. Nerv operatives aided us with the launching process. Once synched up, the Evas were transported to the launch pad, where we were put on standby.

"Target has broken through the final defense line at Gora," Aoba announced.

"Here it comes!" Misato said, "We won't fail this time!"

"Deploy your AT Fields as soon as the music starts," she instructed, "Then stick to the operation. Got it, you two?"

"Roger!" we both said.

_Let's do this. _

"The target has entered the mountains," Aoba said, continuing to give us updates.

"Full power, maximum speed from the start, got it?" Asuka asked.

"I know that. We'll finish in sixty-two seconds," I replied.

And that's all the time we've got. If we blow the routine, the Evas are out of power. They'll use too much too fast at that speed. And then the army will have to resort to another N2 mine, destroying the entire city.

"Target entering Ground Zero."

"Detach external power cables," Misato ordered.

The cables detached, and the countdown began.

"Launch."

Immediately as she said this, the music began and the Evas were catapulted upwards. We came out in the middle of the city, directly in front of the enemy. We didn't stop at the surface, though. Instead we were thrown upwards, into the sky. The tech division had devised a special weapon that would be used to force a split, which we threw down at the Angel now. It created a laser between the piece that I threw and the one that Asuka threw. This forced the Angel to split in half. From there, the routine began.

Each move in the routine felt entirely natural; from offense to defense, everything seemed as if part of a dance. The music flowed through us both, and our timing was flawless. After luring the Angels to the center of the area, Misato ordered the troops to fire every remaining weapon at the Angel, creating a large smoke screen around it. From this cover was where the final strike would be made.

Asuka and I moved as one, each attacking one of the Angel's halves, hitting it into the air then smashing it down. They jumped backwards and recombined into one. However, its cores did not merge as fast as the rest of it. Momentarily, two cores were in its chest instead of one. This was our chance. Asuka and I leaped into the air exactly at the same time, and planted a kick directly into the center of each core. They shattered without effort, and the Angel was thrown backwards into the mountains. It exploded in a shower of blood, exactly as the timer struck zero. Both Evas were out of power, but the enemy was defeated.

"Both Evas confirmed operational," Maya announced.

Operational yes, but we were in a rather compromising position. I was sprawled out over a crater, with Asuka's Unit-02 in a similar position on top of me.

"Geez…" Misato sighed.

"This is pathetic…" Ritsuko added.

I decided that I'd rather be outside of the Eva than stuck like this, so I ejected the plug and walked onto my Eva, surveying the damage. I heard a voice from a ways away, and saw that Asuka had decided to do the same. She ran straight for me, a customarily angry look on her face.

"You jerk! How DARE you do that to my Unit-02?!" she demanded.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who fell on me!" I responded indignantly.

"You're the one who lost his timing first! It's because you're always so out of it! What were you doing, staying up so late last night?!"

"I…image training for today's battle!"

"Liar! I know you were peeping on me while I was sleeping!"

"No fair! You were awake?!"

"That's AWFUL! I was just kidding, but it was real?! You were PEEPING?!"

"No, I wasn't! I was just checking on you!"

"PERVERT! LECH! FIEND! I can't BELIEVE YOU!"

"It's because you were talking and moaning in your sleep!"

"Yeah, right! That's just an excuse!"

I started to laugh, for some reason. I suppose that it was because I was fighting and yelling about something trivial, and funny. My life had gotten to the point where I didn't have to take everything seriously. I was starting to be happy. Genuinely happy. And I wasn't worried. I was, at the time, living in the moment, for once in my life.

"OK, fine, you caught me. I was peeping on you," I said, laughing.


End file.
